Judge again excuses Titus Young's no-show in court

This image provided by the Orange County Sheriffís Department shows the booking photo of former Detroit Lions wide receiver Titus Young, who was arrested three times in one week in May and is accused of numerous crimes, mostly burglaries and assaults. Young has not made his past two court appearances because he is suffering from concussions, his attorney says.(Photo: AP)

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Former Detroit Lions receiver Titus Young was a no-show Tuesday for a second consecutive court appearance, but again was given an excused absence from an Orange County judge.

Young, 23, who allegedly who went on a crime spree in May that led him being arrested three times in a week, is undergoing treatment and that is the reason he has twice failed to appear for hearings in the 11-count criminal case against him, according to his lawyer, Altus W. Hudson II.

Superior Court Judge Andre Manssourian met with Hudson and a prosecutor privately for five minutes, then went on the record, saying to Hudson, "I see your client is not behind you."

Manssourian said the reason Hudson gave for Young's absence will be considered "confidential and put in a confidential file."

Manssourian continued to "hold" a $100,000 bench warrant on Young – meaning Young is not a fugitive but could be subject to arrest if he fails to show up for his next scheduled appearance, a pre-trial hearing set for Aug. 6.

The charges against Young are mostly for burglary and assault, and four of them are felonies. Young also faces possible prosecution for DUI in nearby Riverside County.

Hudson declined to say Tuesday where Young is or whether he is in a residential treatment center. Young is still undergoing psychiatric evaluation and his treatment is related to concussions he suffered while playing football, Hudson said.

"He's safe," Hudson said. "He's still suffering from concussions."

Young's father, who said earlier that his son suffered from a mental disorder and needed treatment, has declined to comment in recent weeks. So has Young's girlfriend, Marjani Maldonado, the mother of their young son, also named Titus.

Maldonado obtained a restraining order that requires Young not come within 100 yards of her.

In seeking the order, Maldonado said in court filings that Young's behavior had become loud and threatening and that he once said, "I understand why O.J. killed his wife." The reference was to NFL Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson, who went on trial and in a controversial decision was acquitted by a jury in the 1994 killings of his wife, Nicole Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Hudson said he doesn't know for sure if Young will be available for the next hearing on his case.